David Farnor | On 29, Jul 2018

Amazon and Film4 have unveiled the first trailer for Mike Leigh’s Peterloo.

The drama is based on events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where British forces fired on a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter’s Field in Manchester.
The notorious massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of 60,000 that had to demand political reform. The forces killed an estimated 18 protestors and injured hundreds, sparking outcry but also further government crackdowns.

This was a defining moment in radical British history which also played a significant role in the founding of the UK’s leftwing broadsheet newspaper The Guardian.

“There has never been a feature film about the Peterloo Massacre. The universal significance of this historic event becomes ever more relevant in our own turbulent times,” says Leigh.

Peterloo reunites the writer-director with his regular team of Oscar and BAFTA winners and nominees, headed by producer Georgina Lowe and including Dick Pope (cinematography), Suzie Davies (production design), Jacqueline Durran (costumes), Christine Blundell (hair and make-up), Jon Gregory (editing) and Gary Yershon (music). Gail Egan is executive producer. The talent in front of the camera is no less impressive, with Rory Kinnear and Maxine Peake leading the ensemble cast.

Amazon Studios is co-financier and US distributor for the project, with additional finance coming from Film4, who backed the film’s development, the BFI, and Lipsync.

The movie will have its world premiere In Competition at the Venice Film Festival this summer, alongside Amazon Studios’ remake of Suspiria, and a host of Netflix original films, including Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. Ahead of its festival debut, and UK release later this year, we’ve now got our first look at the film, with a new trailer released online. Watch the video below – or click here for more on the Venice Film Festival line-up.

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